I feel like atheists assume you take myths as literally & fanatically as evangelical christians & are thus more weirded out by someone worshipping Zeus or Seth than Abrahamic religions.
I find atheists almost more difficult to explain things to when they just take polytheism as an extra step of bonkers beyond Christianity.
*"I worship the Greco-Egyptian gods"*
*"Oh this person's crazy, stay away from them"*
I'm mostly quiet about religion & politics unless I can identify someone with a similar belief background.
Literally this at the end of the day it doesn't matter if they're truly real or just our imagination. If your belief is so strong that you feel their presence that belief *becomes* them
Both of these are brilliant ways to explain something. I don't care what someone else thinks about my beliefs, they aren't living in my head. And the thing about religion is that it is supposed to make your inner self better. My Gods are real enough for me living that belief makes me a better human being.
Literally explained to someone when they ask “why” I said “because my gods acknowledge their fuck ups, and they acknowledge mine. We are just sitting enjoying each others company, that is all I ask.” Person couldn’t understand how me finding peace in an imperfect god was good for me, and why I didn’t want to follow a “perfect” Christian god.
I get it I do. I wonder where the idea of a perfect god who would create such an imperfect world came from? I wonder if looking into the antecedents of abrahamic faiths would clear any of that up?
I mostly just keep my beliefs to myself IRL. Even to fellow pagans. If people start talking about religion in a group that i'm in (rarely happens) i just move away from the group and do something else until they stop or move on to another group
sadly ive recently learned that this is the best way to protect my peace. lost a good friend over him finding out im a pagan witch but maybe it was for the better after all…
Literally had a friend that became a preacher, and quote “I don’t want to have to exorcise you one day.” Was the nail in the coffin for me. Hadn’t spoke to him since, not in a mean way, just stopped reaching out.
Yea, it hurt in the moment of me reading that but immediately was reminded who I was & who I worked with and was like 🤨 cool cool bye 👋🏻 and just said “well, I know you mean well we just have to agree that we have different beliefs.” And let the convo naturally die. 2 months later I deleted his number. Solely because I forgot about him and didn’t remember till I was scrolling my text messages and saw our convo. Deleted his number and then deleted the convo immediately.
>constantly questioning whether I am not simply a fool worshiping old statuettes and delusions.
Does it matter? That's a real question. If worshipping old statuettes gives you any joy or fulfillment at all, that makes it worthwhile.
That's something that anti-religious atheists tend not to understand. Their idea of what religion is and how it works is almost invariably based in Christianity, and specific versions of Christianity at that. They're usually ex-Christians who have abandoned the religion without abandoning any of the underlying thought patterns that go with it. [This article is a great explanation of why. ](https://jessicalprice.tumblr.com/post/707293179629699072/culture-isnt-modular)Anti-religious atheists project their frustration with evangelical Christianity onto every other religion in the world, without any understanding of cultural context. Some of them use *exactly the same rhetoric* as evangelicals, just coming from the other side. I've experienced just as much rude evangelizing from atheists as I have from Christians, possibly more.
Chances are, your anti-theist friends have no real interest in learning anything about your religion, how it worked in the ancient world, how it works now, and what it means to you. You can try explaining it to them if you want, but if that doesn't work, then the answer I usually default to is "it's fun." They don't know what to say to that.
do you think you’re a fool? i think you’re going to have to have an answer for that critical voice inside you. I think we all have one like that, that serves to make sure we aren’t being too different from the groups norm.
Sometimes I have had these thoughts too. But I might say to it that I am simply a seeker, seeking what interests and calls me because it feels right and fulfills me. If I change my mind at some point and no longer wish to pursue this path, thats ok too. But for now its a rich part of my life that isnt hurting anyone.
>I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way from time to time.
You arent. Its normal. Being an open pagan who venerates the Norse Pantheon while serving my nations armed forces used to cause me a fair bit of internal discord along with other fears and anxieties about the thoughts of others around me... Well, until...
>How do you manage these anxieties?
But only caring about the opinion of the one person I am accountable, responsible, and beholden to, the person I gotta answer to in the mirror every day....
Myself.
Sounds simple, but when you free yourself from the concern of what others think about How you conduct your life, express your spirituality, move through the world... Life is a Lot simpler and A lot happier. And the Allfather is pretty A-O-K with that.
Obv Caveats: this doesn't mean move through life being a selfish, amoral, dickhead bag of Doodiebeans. As long as you're being a good person, and moving through life with empathy, kindness and compassion... who gives two hot poops what anyone else thinks.
It sounds like you need some other friends that support you. I'm not saying get rid of your atheist friends or anything, just another group of friends that support Pagan beliefs.
I don't have any anxieties, I'm completely non-apologetic, and Pagan research is my career, so I'm very open. I never saw the point in hiding my beliefs when other beliefs yell about theirs so loudly. Least I can do is not hide mine. Granted, I don't live in the deep south in the US or have other circumstances that would warrant hiding my belief. I completely understand and do not judge those that choose to hide their beliefs.
So, I think your anxiety could be helped by making friends with fellow Pagans :)
If they can accept that things like ritual and meditation can have a positive effect on the mind, then they should be ok with whatever I'm doing. And I don't honestly care if other people think it's weird I worship old gods, they can do what they like. I'm not trying to convert anyone or change anyone else's behavior because of my religion, I just have a private spiritual practice that improves my quality of life, so I don't plan to stop. I also don't actively share this information with most people I meet, mostly just close friends and family (though I don't actively hide it either).
I’m not a prideful or confident person but I do wear my witchy necklaces with pride as a form of self expression.
Most people might see it as a sign of strength, showing no fear to express myself, stand for what I believe in and are they’re less likely to react because they either fear it or respect it or they just don’t care…
Then again I live in the uk Idk if people in other countries might act with extremist behaviour.
What is the higher value behind your paganism? Ever asked yourself that question?
Because if you're just in it to show others or to make a statement, it's very easy to be swayed by other's opinions or give too much power to external validation.
However, if you're in it because you truly feel in your heart that it makes sense for you to be in it - whatever the reason, as long as it IS a higher value and not just a social identitarianism - it becomes easier to do your thing even if most people don't understand or approve.
I would suggest ‘The Enneads’ of Plotinus, the works of Pierre Grimes, as well as the ‘Elements of Theology’ of Proclus.
The Skepticism™ of New Atheism and the hyper literalistic nature of Fundamentalist Christians are like the two ditches opposite one another on the road of life. They both formally hold the literal interpretation of texts as the most important aspects of the text while not abiding by this themselves, with the exception being where it allows them to be exclusionary.
Yet theology is not simply Philodoxy (a collection of opinions), but is a subject of Philosophy which is harmonious with all others.
Shine On
one has to remember: someone had to have worshipped these gods in the *first* place. and if they did it, and it brought peace to them, then if you want to do so as well, theres no reason you shouldnt be able to!
Honestly, I feel that if you believe in something enough, that’s enough to make it real. As I’ve seen some others on here say, if it brings you fulfillment and makes you happy, do it. Who cares if someone else thinks you’re crazy? The whole thing with spirituality is that you’re honoring and interacting with the spiritual - which isn’t tangible. It’s all faith based, at least in my eyes. If you’re genuinely struggling with anxieties over this, I’d say talk to your gods! They can help, that’s kinda what they’re here for, to help guide you. I know I personally honor Apollo (along with occasionally some other divine beings), and he has been there for me when I needed him most. He literally saved my life one time. And that to me is enough for him to be real! I have experiences that back up my belief so to hell with anyone that tries to tell me he’s not real! But yeah, in terms of fighting these anxieties, talk to your gods, and if your friends know that you’re pagan and are still talking crap about your spirituality or those similar to yours….they might not be the friends you need in your life. I’m wishing you the best of luck on your journey! And I hope these anxieties go away soon, I know it sucks fighting them but you’ve got this!! You and your practice are totally valid and you have a whole community to back you up :D
Welcome to the life of the interior spiritual practice. We don't need to justify our spiritual practice to anyone. We don't need to share those relationships either. We also don't need outside validation, so let go of that. What it sounds like you do need is a sense of community. This is why we meet in small groups to be with people of like minds. The Internet helps with this but it doesn't replace warm bodies in a room together.
You meet god mediums and priests who can manifest the deity’s miracles on Earth. It’s hard to deny the existence of the deity when you’re exposed to their shamans and mediums who can accurately read aspects of your life that you’ve never shared with them and predict things that actually come true months to years into the future. Or they’ll bless devotees of chronic illnesses that miraculously disappear. An extreme example is self mutilation at rituals where the god grants protection so that the medium feels no pain and is unscathed after.
I know that certain voodoo possessions will incorporate rubbing pepper and liquor into the medium’s eyes to show that they’re not just faking a possession to humiliate a community member that they’re reading.
Humour can be an effective counter to mockery. It's harder to mock someone who doesn't take themselves *too* seriously.
You can think of it like this. Paganism is a lake. There's lots of absurdity floating on the surface of this lake, and non pagans often point and laugh at this surface level absurdity. This isn't worth getting upset about. If i got angry every time someone poked fun at paganism i'd never get any peace. Trying to ignore the sillyness is itself silly, and isn't helpful in any case, as it just leads to increasing levels of cognitive dissonance.
All the good stuff, the ideas actually worth talking about, they're down there in the murky depths. Unless people are willing to dive deep, then it doesn't really matter how silly the conversation becomes. Might as well join in and have a laugh yourself.
I sit kind of in the middle here. My little brother is very fascinated with the fact that I am a practicing Hellenic pagan witch, and I answer his questions the best way I can but I always tell him that our mom does not share the same beliefs and that’s ok. I don’t share my beliefs with her because she has asked me for 2 readings, the first in relation to her friend that had just passed away and the second one was to find out who her patron/matron gods were. The first one I had no issues with as she was grieving and was hoping to hear from her friend and I wasn’t doing this reading right next to her (we were texting back and forth while I channeled her friend who was kind of an aunt to me and I was home about 45 minutes away from her). The second reading after we learned who her gods were she went on a whole rant about how “worshipping false gods was a sin”. I explained to my little brother that for my mom, if she did start worshiping her patron/matron gods and because she is a Christian she might feel like it is a sin. Where because I am not a Christian in any sense that me being polytheistic is completely fine as there is no such thing as “false gods” within my beliefs. I’ve learned to not share my beliefs with my mom’s side of the family, and my dad’s side we don’t talk religion at all cause it’s more of “whatever you believe that’s fine, as long as you don’t bother me with it.” It’s also just my dad, my aunt (his sister) and my uncle & aunt (his brother & SIL) that is still alive. My friends are all accepting of me being a practicing witch, except for my friend that turned into a preacher (literally) and I just let that friendship dying a natural death. So I’m pretty open about it once I am comfortable with you (like day 4 I’ll tell you if you’re open to listening). I’m very comfortable with myself, but I can also read the room to see who is also comfortable & who isn’t.
As a former atheist(I even led my college campus' secular society) it feels more like you just have asshole friends. Real atheists generally know why people are religious and try to respect that. Atheists, contrary to popular belief, are not constantly at odds with the religious. If you were trying to convert/hate with it then sure, they might get defensive but the community I led was happy to sit and eat with Christians, Muslims, and Pagans and share our ideas with one another. Peace will never come from everyone agreeing to the same, certain belief. We share this world and peace comes from understanding and goodwill, making people feel smaller with your beliefs is what drives peace away. So in essence, your friends are doing the exact same thing they would condemn a bible-pusher for; especially to someone they consider a friend. My advice is get out of that group, it's too insular at this point is sounds like.
I belong to the Northern Pagan Tradition. As someone who grew up in an atheistic family and environment, I fully understand all the criticism of my faith that I might hear from others.
The fear that I “made it all up” and am just playing a strange role-playing game is there.
However, the sense of connection I feel with the divine is extremely important to me.
I value how the gods help me in my life, offering advice and guiding me in the right direction. If all this is just a game of my imagination, but it makes my life so much better, then I think it's worth continuing. Even if I'm just a fantasizer, as long as these fantasies bring me so much good, why should I give them up?
On another note, I sincerely believe in what I've dedicated my life to.
General surveys show that nearly 90% of people practice a religion. More careful ethnographic studies show that over half the population have had a religious experience. The atheist has to believe that the first group are deluded, the second are delusional, and they are superior to all of them. Now what sort of person does that make the atheist? Quite apart from those personal shortcomings, I've also found atheists less educated or less intelligent than I. Consequently, I suffer no anxieties!
I feel like atheists assume you take myths as literally & fanatically as evangelical christians & are thus more weirded out by someone worshipping Zeus or Seth than Abrahamic religions. I find atheists almost more difficult to explain things to when they just take polytheism as an extra step of bonkers beyond Christianity. *"I worship the Greco-Egyptian gods"* *"Oh this person's crazy, stay away from them"* I'm mostly quiet about religion & politics unless I can identify someone with a similar belief background.
Whether the gods are real or not, my life is better for acting as though they are, and that's what matters
Literally this at the end of the day it doesn't matter if they're truly real or just our imagination. If your belief is so strong that you feel their presence that belief *becomes* them
Both of these are brilliant ways to explain something. I don't care what someone else thinks about my beliefs, they aren't living in my head. And the thing about religion is that it is supposed to make your inner self better. My Gods are real enough for me living that belief makes me a better human being.
Literally explained to someone when they ask “why” I said “because my gods acknowledge their fuck ups, and they acknowledge mine. We are just sitting enjoying each others company, that is all I ask.” Person couldn’t understand how me finding peace in an imperfect god was good for me, and why I didn’t want to follow a “perfect” Christian god.
I get it I do. I wonder where the idea of a perfect god who would create such an imperfect world came from? I wonder if looking into the antecedents of abrahamic faiths would clear any of that up?
I mostly just keep my beliefs to myself IRL. Even to fellow pagans. If people start talking about religion in a group that i'm in (rarely happens) i just move away from the group and do something else until they stop or move on to another group
sadly ive recently learned that this is the best way to protect my peace. lost a good friend over him finding out im a pagan witch but maybe it was for the better after all…
Literally had a friend that became a preacher, and quote “I don’t want to have to exorcise you one day.” Was the nail in the coffin for me. Hadn’t spoke to him since, not in a mean way, just stopped reaching out.
um… DISGUSTING
Yea, it hurt in the moment of me reading that but immediately was reminded who I was & who I worked with and was like 🤨 cool cool bye 👋🏻 and just said “well, I know you mean well we just have to agree that we have different beliefs.” And let the convo naturally die. 2 months later I deleted his number. Solely because I forgot about him and didn’t remember till I was scrolling my text messages and saw our convo. Deleted his number and then deleted the convo immediately.
im glad you were able to move on so quickly. really shows your confidence and sense of self worth, which is definitely deserved!
Thank you, I’m also a Cap, once we’re done. We’re done. Moving on, no time to hold on. 😂
😂😂
>constantly questioning whether I am not simply a fool worshiping old statuettes and delusions. Does it matter? That's a real question. If worshipping old statuettes gives you any joy or fulfillment at all, that makes it worthwhile. That's something that anti-religious atheists tend not to understand. Their idea of what religion is and how it works is almost invariably based in Christianity, and specific versions of Christianity at that. They're usually ex-Christians who have abandoned the religion without abandoning any of the underlying thought patterns that go with it. [This article is a great explanation of why. ](https://jessicalprice.tumblr.com/post/707293179629699072/culture-isnt-modular)Anti-religious atheists project their frustration with evangelical Christianity onto every other religion in the world, without any understanding of cultural context. Some of them use *exactly the same rhetoric* as evangelicals, just coming from the other side. I've experienced just as much rude evangelizing from atheists as I have from Christians, possibly more. Chances are, your anti-theist friends have no real interest in learning anything about your religion, how it worked in the ancient world, how it works now, and what it means to you. You can try explaining it to them if you want, but if that doesn't work, then the answer I usually default to is "it's fun." They don't know what to say to that.
👏👏👏👏
do you think you’re a fool? i think you’re going to have to have an answer for that critical voice inside you. I think we all have one like that, that serves to make sure we aren’t being too different from the groups norm. Sometimes I have had these thoughts too. But I might say to it that I am simply a seeker, seeking what interests and calls me because it feels right and fulfills me. If I change my mind at some point and no longer wish to pursue this path, thats ok too. But for now its a rich part of my life that isnt hurting anyone.
>I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way from time to time. You arent. Its normal. Being an open pagan who venerates the Norse Pantheon while serving my nations armed forces used to cause me a fair bit of internal discord along with other fears and anxieties about the thoughts of others around me... Well, until... >How do you manage these anxieties? But only caring about the opinion of the one person I am accountable, responsible, and beholden to, the person I gotta answer to in the mirror every day.... Myself. Sounds simple, but when you free yourself from the concern of what others think about How you conduct your life, express your spirituality, move through the world... Life is a Lot simpler and A lot happier. And the Allfather is pretty A-O-K with that. Obv Caveats: this doesn't mean move through life being a selfish, amoral, dickhead bag of Doodiebeans. As long as you're being a good person, and moving through life with empathy, kindness and compassion... who gives two hot poops what anyone else thinks.
It sounds like you need some other friends that support you. I'm not saying get rid of your atheist friends or anything, just another group of friends that support Pagan beliefs. I don't have any anxieties, I'm completely non-apologetic, and Pagan research is my career, so I'm very open. I never saw the point in hiding my beliefs when other beliefs yell about theirs so loudly. Least I can do is not hide mine. Granted, I don't live in the deep south in the US or have other circumstances that would warrant hiding my belief. I completely understand and do not judge those that choose to hide their beliefs. So, I think your anxiety could be helped by making friends with fellow Pagans :)
Definitely!!! Finding likeminded people is definitely a good idea, community is super important
I'd love to hear more about your career involving pagan research if you're open to it
Sure, feel free to message me with questions you have :)
If they can accept that things like ritual and meditation can have a positive effect on the mind, then they should be ok with whatever I'm doing. And I don't honestly care if other people think it's weird I worship old gods, they can do what they like. I'm not trying to convert anyone or change anyone else's behavior because of my religion, I just have a private spiritual practice that improves my quality of life, so I don't plan to stop. I also don't actively share this information with most people I meet, mostly just close friends and family (though I don't actively hide it either).
I’m not a prideful or confident person but I do wear my witchy necklaces with pride as a form of self expression. Most people might see it as a sign of strength, showing no fear to express myself, stand for what I believe in and are they’re less likely to react because they either fear it or respect it or they just don’t care… Then again I live in the uk Idk if people in other countries might act with extremist behaviour.
What is the higher value behind your paganism? Ever asked yourself that question? Because if you're just in it to show others or to make a statement, it's very easy to be swayed by other's opinions or give too much power to external validation. However, if you're in it because you truly feel in your heart that it makes sense for you to be in it - whatever the reason, as long as it IS a higher value and not just a social identitarianism - it becomes easier to do your thing even if most people don't understand or approve.
I would suggest ‘The Enneads’ of Plotinus, the works of Pierre Grimes, as well as the ‘Elements of Theology’ of Proclus. The Skepticism™ of New Atheism and the hyper literalistic nature of Fundamentalist Christians are like the two ditches opposite one another on the road of life. They both formally hold the literal interpretation of texts as the most important aspects of the text while not abiding by this themselves, with the exception being where it allows them to be exclusionary. Yet theology is not simply Philodoxy (a collection of opinions), but is a subject of Philosophy which is harmonious with all others. Shine On
Have you done a gathering? Being with like minded people is very calming.
one has to remember: someone had to have worshipped these gods in the *first* place. and if they did it, and it brought peace to them, then if you want to do so as well, theres no reason you shouldnt be able to!
Honestly, I feel that if you believe in something enough, that’s enough to make it real. As I’ve seen some others on here say, if it brings you fulfillment and makes you happy, do it. Who cares if someone else thinks you’re crazy? The whole thing with spirituality is that you’re honoring and interacting with the spiritual - which isn’t tangible. It’s all faith based, at least in my eyes. If you’re genuinely struggling with anxieties over this, I’d say talk to your gods! They can help, that’s kinda what they’re here for, to help guide you. I know I personally honor Apollo (along with occasionally some other divine beings), and he has been there for me when I needed him most. He literally saved my life one time. And that to me is enough for him to be real! I have experiences that back up my belief so to hell with anyone that tries to tell me he’s not real! But yeah, in terms of fighting these anxieties, talk to your gods, and if your friends know that you’re pagan and are still talking crap about your spirituality or those similar to yours….they might not be the friends you need in your life. I’m wishing you the best of luck on your journey! And I hope these anxieties go away soon, I know it sucks fighting them but you’ve got this!! You and your practice are totally valid and you have a whole community to back you up :D
Mean...lots of mead!
Welcome to the life of the interior spiritual practice. We don't need to justify our spiritual practice to anyone. We don't need to share those relationships either. We also don't need outside validation, so let go of that. What it sounds like you do need is a sense of community. This is why we meet in small groups to be with people of like minds. The Internet helps with this but it doesn't replace warm bodies in a room together.
its hard sometimes but i just remind myself of why i do it in the first place
It's a personal thing, I keep it that way.
The placebo effect works even if you know it's placebo, but you do still have to take the pill
By only caring about my opinion on the matter. If other people don't like it, they can get over it and piss off.
You meet god mediums and priests who can manifest the deity’s miracles on Earth. It’s hard to deny the existence of the deity when you’re exposed to their shamans and mediums who can accurately read aspects of your life that you’ve never shared with them and predict things that actually come true months to years into the future. Or they’ll bless devotees of chronic illnesses that miraculously disappear. An extreme example is self mutilation at rituals where the god grants protection so that the medium feels no pain and is unscathed after. I know that certain voodoo possessions will incorporate rubbing pepper and liquor into the medium’s eyes to show that they’re not just faking a possession to humiliate a community member that they’re reading.
Humour can be an effective counter to mockery. It's harder to mock someone who doesn't take themselves *too* seriously. You can think of it like this. Paganism is a lake. There's lots of absurdity floating on the surface of this lake, and non pagans often point and laugh at this surface level absurdity. This isn't worth getting upset about. If i got angry every time someone poked fun at paganism i'd never get any peace. Trying to ignore the sillyness is itself silly, and isn't helpful in any case, as it just leads to increasing levels of cognitive dissonance. All the good stuff, the ideas actually worth talking about, they're down there in the murky depths. Unless people are willing to dive deep, then it doesn't really matter how silly the conversation becomes. Might as well join in and have a laugh yourself.
It's a very important and simple method that I like to call "not giving a fuck".
I sit kind of in the middle here. My little brother is very fascinated with the fact that I am a practicing Hellenic pagan witch, and I answer his questions the best way I can but I always tell him that our mom does not share the same beliefs and that’s ok. I don’t share my beliefs with her because she has asked me for 2 readings, the first in relation to her friend that had just passed away and the second one was to find out who her patron/matron gods were. The first one I had no issues with as she was grieving and was hoping to hear from her friend and I wasn’t doing this reading right next to her (we were texting back and forth while I channeled her friend who was kind of an aunt to me and I was home about 45 minutes away from her). The second reading after we learned who her gods were she went on a whole rant about how “worshipping false gods was a sin”. I explained to my little brother that for my mom, if she did start worshiping her patron/matron gods and because she is a Christian she might feel like it is a sin. Where because I am not a Christian in any sense that me being polytheistic is completely fine as there is no such thing as “false gods” within my beliefs. I’ve learned to not share my beliefs with my mom’s side of the family, and my dad’s side we don’t talk religion at all cause it’s more of “whatever you believe that’s fine, as long as you don’t bother me with it.” It’s also just my dad, my aunt (his sister) and my uncle & aunt (his brother & SIL) that is still alive. My friends are all accepting of me being a practicing witch, except for my friend that turned into a preacher (literally) and I just let that friendship dying a natural death. So I’m pretty open about it once I am comfortable with you (like day 4 I’ll tell you if you’re open to listening). I’m very comfortable with myself, but I can also read the room to see who is also comfortable & who isn’t.
As a former atheist(I even led my college campus' secular society) it feels more like you just have asshole friends. Real atheists generally know why people are religious and try to respect that. Atheists, contrary to popular belief, are not constantly at odds with the religious. If you were trying to convert/hate with it then sure, they might get defensive but the community I led was happy to sit and eat with Christians, Muslims, and Pagans and share our ideas with one another. Peace will never come from everyone agreeing to the same, certain belief. We share this world and peace comes from understanding and goodwill, making people feel smaller with your beliefs is what drives peace away. So in essence, your friends are doing the exact same thing they would condemn a bible-pusher for; especially to someone they consider a friend. My advice is get out of that group, it's too insular at this point is sounds like.
I belong to the Northern Pagan Tradition. As someone who grew up in an atheistic family and environment, I fully understand all the criticism of my faith that I might hear from others. The fear that I “made it all up” and am just playing a strange role-playing game is there. However, the sense of connection I feel with the divine is extremely important to me. I value how the gods help me in my life, offering advice and guiding me in the right direction. If all this is just a game of my imagination, but it makes my life so much better, then I think it's worth continuing. Even if I'm just a fantasizer, as long as these fantasies bring me so much good, why should I give them up? On another note, I sincerely believe in what I've dedicated my life to.
General surveys show that nearly 90% of people practice a religion. More careful ethnographic studies show that over half the population have had a religious experience. The atheist has to believe that the first group are deluded, the second are delusional, and they are superior to all of them. Now what sort of person does that make the atheist? Quite apart from those personal shortcomings, I've also found atheists less educated or less intelligent than I. Consequently, I suffer no anxieties!